Italian four-piece Sonic Wolves are gearing up for the release of their debut album this Spring, and as a way of laying the foundation for its arrival, Taxi Driver Records has gotten behind a 7″ single for Record Store Day featuring the songs “He Said” and “Song for the Earthbound.” The band, which features bassist/vocalist Kayt Vigil (ex-The Hounds of Hasselvander and ex-Pentagram) and drummer Vita (Ufomammut) as well as guitarist/vocalist Paolo Melotto and guitarist Diniz and formerly worked under the moniker Tsutar, offered up their debut demo, titled Wolfwitch, last year, and “He Said” featured on that as well, but He Said b/w Song for the Earthbound brings them to a more established feel in production and, as an introduction to the long-player to come, it shows a range of styles Sonic Wolves incorporate pull from various sides of heavy psychedelia and deep-toned fuzz. It’s a quick listen, of course, but Sonic Wolves acquit themselves well throughout.

“He Said” is a studio recording, where “Song for the Earthbound” was tracked live, and the A-side establishes an almost immediate sense of depth. The rhythm is languid, an easy flow bolstered by near-shoegazing effects on the guitar, but Vigil‘s vocal echoes overtop in a way that’s somewhat more blown out, and that gives a looser, garage-style feel as “He Said” unfolds, a steady drum progression pushing it along until it crashes into the solo section, the bass fuzzing heavy under a nodding freakout that cuts suddenly to go back to the verse, somewhat more tense after what it’s just been through. Engaging, catchy in a lysergic kind of way and fluid, it still only tells part of the story, as “Song for the Earthbound” takes hold. The B-side, which didn’t feature on the demo, offers a fuller-toned push, some cowbell from Vita, and vocal tradeoffs between Vigil and Melotto as well as more straightforward guitar interplay and an emergent roll in its back half that leads to a return to the hook with both singers delivering. That dynamic doesn’t show up in “He Said,” so between the swapping of heavy/psychedelic influences and the dual-vocalist dynamic, Sonic Wolves set themselves up across He Said b/w Song for the Earthbound to go into an album of wide-ranging and intriguing possibilities.

And no doubt that’s the intent behind the single in the first place. Record Store Day (April 16) is the release date for He Said b/w Song for the Earthbound, and if you’re feeling groovy, it’ll be streaming for the next couple weeks to let you get a taste on the player below. More info on it follows from the PR wire.

Enjoy:

Sonic Wolves are a “heavy dirty rock” band from Alessandria (Italy). The project started in 2012 by bassist Kayt Vigil (previously in The Hounds Of Hasselvander and Pentagram, currently also in Rogue State) and drummer Vita (currently also in Ufomammut and Rogue State), under a different name (Tsutar), and it developed with a line-up transformation with also Paolo Melotto (previously in Psyconauts and also Tsutar) on lead guitar and voice, and Diniz (currently in Temple Of Dust and Mexican Chili Funeral Party) on rhythm guitar, both joining the band.

Before their first album that will be out in late spring, Taxi Driver Records is going to release a 7inch 45-rpm single titled “He Said” for Record Store Day 2016 (16th April), limited to 150 hand numbered copies (first 50 copies on large central hole vinyl version).

Tracklist: Side A: He Said Side B: Song For The Earthbound

“He Said” was recorded and mixed by Stefano Tocci at Ampire Studio, Pistoia (Italy), and it’s a “radio edit” version. The extended track will be included in the upcoming full lenght. B-side “Song For The Earthbound” is a live recording by Alessandro Levrero. Both tracks were mastered by Riccardo “Paso” Pasini. Cover artwork curated by Seals Of Blackening (Michele Carnielli, frontman of Italian doomsters Kröwnn).

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 10th, 2016 at 10:19 am and is filed under audiObelisk.
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